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Ranch homes come full circle

June 08, 2008|By Jane Adler, Special to the Tribune

Jerry and Jackie Schur are headed back to the ranch.

About 40 years ago, the Schurs bought their first house, a ranch model in Rolling Meadows. It was typical of the hundreds of houses being built at the time, a two-bedroom place. But after the birth of their second child, the Schurs moved into a two-story home with more space.

Several two-story houses later, the Schurs are ready to head back to the ranch. They plan to move this summer to Carillon at Cambridge Lakes, an active-adult community in northwest suburban Pingree Grove.

"We've come full circle from a ranch to a ranch," said Jerry. Once the iconic house of the American West, ranches are now most often found in communities meant for older people. The early ranches were rambling homesteads, often growing with rooms added on as needed. Tract subdivisions in the 1960s and '70s popularized the ranch, making it the design of the era.

But ranches started to fall out of favor as families demanded more room and the cheapest way to build was up.

Today, ranch plans are still offered at housing developments, though in a small proportion, developers say. But ranches rule at active-adult projects, where stairs are not appreciated.

"About 99 percent of the homes we sell at our Del Webb projects are ranches," said Sean Degen, national vice president of architectural services at Pulte Homes, based in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., which owns the Del Webb brand. Degen said only one Del Webb community, in Upper Gwynedd, Pa., offers a second floor for added space, though the master bedroom is on the first floor.

The ranches of today are quite different than their predecessors. At Del Webb's original Sun City in Arizona, built in 1960, the ranches ranged from about 900 to 1,100 square feet. The houses had two bedrooms and one bath and a carport.

Some Del Webb models currently are as large as 4,000 square feet, though about 2,000 square feet is more typical.

Ranch designs also are more open, said Dave Smith, vice president of sales and marketing at Cambridge Homes in Libertyville, many with great rooms that combine the kitchen and family room. Cambridge has seven active-adult Carillon projects in the Chicago area. New ranches also are more vertical than their predecessors, said Scott Roth, an Evanston architect who designs active-adult homes. Roofs are pitched to give the appearance of a second floor. "It has more architectural appeal," said Roth. Some of his designs include a second floor, usually with an extra bedroom or two or a loft for visitors. The stairs are six inches wider than standard risers so they don't look too vertical and provide more room to maneuver.

At Carillon Club in Naperville, about 50 percent of the buyers opt for a second floor for guest bedrooms, but the master bedroom is on the first floor.

"One-level living is wonderful," said Joe Wilson. He and his wife, Sandy, bought a townhouse at Victoria Park, in Libertyville.

Though the house has an upstairs, the first-floor master bedroom was a selling point. "We still have some spryness left in us," said Joe. "But down the road, it will be more convenient for us not to have to traverse the stairs."

As much as active-adult home buyers don't like stairs, they?'re willing to have them to get a basement. Basements are still very popular in the Midwest, say builders. Most offer a basement because home buyers want the room for storage and other things--despite the cost.

The Schurs skipped the second floor. They didn't think they needed the space. But Jerry added: "I still have to have a basement where I can work in the winter."

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Jane Adler is a Chicago-area freelance writer. Write to her at Senior Housing, c/o Chicago Homes, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. Or e-mail realestate@tribune.com. Sorry, she cannot make personal replies. Answers will be supplied only through the newspaper.